


Dreaming of Another Place

by anditwasallpink



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: High School AU, Prom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 10:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18603028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anditwasallpink/pseuds/anditwasallpink
Summary: The first time Steve mentions going to prom, Billy laughs.





	Dreaming of Another Place

The first time Steve mentions going to prom Billy laughs.

There are posters for, "Walking in the Wind: A Night on Air," on every wall in the school and on the inside of the bathroom stall doors.  Billy's seen them, it would have been impossible not to, but he blows them off, the idea seeming impossible.  When Steve says, "We should go," Billy doesn't even think, just laughs.  

-

When Steve mentions prom again, they're in Steve's living room, skipping last period to get their hands on each other.  Steve's got his head on Billy's shoulder and legs across his lap.  Steve's dad's record player is playing, soft enough to be background noise but still audible.

"Why did you laugh when I said we should go to prom?"

Billy still doesn't _get it,_ so Billy just shrugs.  "Kinda impossible, Stevie."  

"Why is it impossible?"  

That's when it hits Billy.  Steve wants to go to prom with him.  

"You wanna go to prom?"  

"Yeah," Steve says, voice quieter than usual.  "It's prom.  Who doesn't want to go?" 

Billy tilts his head back and sighs.  "Steve.”  

"Why is it impossible?" Steve asks again.

"What happens when Neil finds out?  You really think we can keep it quiet?  Can get everyone to keep their mouth shut?  You know it can't happen."  Billy doesn't want to get frustrated, but it's bubbling under the surface.  He's been tense all day, Neil had threatened him before he left for school.

"You're right," Steve answers, "There's no way it won't get back to Neil."  

That makes Billy feel  _guilty._ He doesn't want his problems to keep Steve from being able to do what he wants.  "You can still go," Billy whispers.  

Steve shakes his head.  "That isn't what I want."

Billy presses a kiss to his forehead, an apology.  Steve gets it, tangling his fingers in Billy's to say, "It's okay."

-

The conversation sticks with Billy for the rest of the afternoon and into the night.  He can't sleep, too keyed up and _angry_.  He's angry at Neil, at himself, and everything.  Keeping Steve happy and satisfied is what Billy wants to do all the time, so keeping Steve from being able to go to prom bothers him and up well into the night trying to figure out how to fix it.  It's four in the morning before Billy gets an idea.  

-

Billy wakes Max up for school earlier than usual.  She's not happy about it, throws a pillow at him, even though he tries to be as gentle and considerate. 

"Max, please.  I need to talk to Dustin."  

"Why?" she mumbles into her pillow. 

"I just need to.  Get up."

She groans out a noise that sounds like, "Fine," before she kicks the covers off of her and pushes him out of her way to the bathroom.

He waits for her in the car to avoid Neil.  His leg bounces up and down in impatience.  

Dustin is always the first one to get to school.  Billy has only beat his mother to the parking lot once.  Max had told him once that Dustin's mom started work at the same time school started and she's one of those who get anxious when they aren't ten minutes early.  

They beat the Henderson's to the parking lot again.  Max knows not to get out of the car yet, so they sit in silence for a couple of minutes until Dustin presses his head against the glass of Billy's car.  

"Beat it, Max," Billy says.  When Max opens her door and steps out, Billy reaches over and grabs Dustin's shirt, pulling him off balance and into the passenger seat.  Max rolls her eyes as Dustin screams, shutting the car door.

"Shut up," Billy orders.  "I need your help with something for Steve."

The only reason Dustin knows anything about Billy's relationship with Steve is because Dustin, knowing where the spare key to Steve's front door is, had let himself in and walked right into Billy with Steve pressed into the wall, mouth on Steve's neck.  

Dustin groans, "You're still together?!"

Billy rolls his eyes.  "Steve wants to go to prom and we can't go to the prom at the high school, so I was thinking that maybe we could make one for him?"  He phrases it into a question, uncertainty seeping into his words.  

"Oh.  Sure, why not?"

"I was thinking that I could take him out somewhere during the day and you and your friends could set up in his pool house."

"Sure."

"Don't make it look like shit.  I'm buying the decorations.  And don't tell your friends what it's for."

Dustin shrugs, "They're going to figure it out."

Billy glares at Dustin, letting all of the _mean_ he has in his body come to the surface.  "It better not be because you told them."  

Rolling his eyes, Dustin says, "Please.  Steve asks me to keep a secret, I keep it."  

"Prom is in a couple weeks.  I'll get the decorations and keep them in the pool house, under the rafts in the corner.  Now get out of my car."

-

Billy's got his mouth pressed to Steve's stomach, under his belly button.  The kiss is gentle, making Steve's stomach tense up and then relax as he breathes out the most beautiful sound, a sigh that makes Billy's toes curl.  There's a rose under Steve's bed, just within reach if Billy presses his hand to the ground, and just out of Steve's line of sight.  

"We can't go to prom at the school," he murmurs against skin, each word punctuated with a kiss to Steve's stomach, "but I want you to still get dressed up like we are going."  Billy reaches down and grabs the rose.  He puts the rose high on Steve's chest and sits up in between Steve's long legs.  "Let me take you out.  We can go out of town and eat somewhere fancy, then come back here.  I'll put the record player on and we can dance."  

Steve's smile is so bright it makes Billy feel dizzy, so full of happiness and love.  

"Yeah, okay," Steve breathes out.  He reaches for Billy's head.  Billy lets his head drop into Steve's hands, who pulls it down to press his lips on Billy's.  "I don't need to go to prom.  Just wanna be near you."

"I want you to have everything.  Let me give you prom, baby."  Billy's words are pressed to Steve's cheeks, sweet, wet kisses peppered all along them.  

"Okay," Steve laughs. "Thank you."

-

The day of their prom, Neil is working late.  Billy says a silent prayer of thanks when Susan tells him.  When Neil isn't home, Susan takes him and Max out to eat for dinner.  Billy gets the house to himself while he gets ready.  He puts on a black long-sleeved dress shirt, pants, and shoes with a red tie and red socks.  He knows he looks good, knows he looks like he's got more money than he does.  

He drives to pick up Steve at his house, hands slick with sweat as they slide over the steering wheel.  

There, outside of Steve's house are three brats.

"Dustin," he hisses as he gets out of his car.  

Dustin instantly holds up his hands, "They already knew!"

"How?" Billy growls.  "You are the only one who we told."

Before Dustin can answer, Steve opens the door, smile taking up all of his face.  Billy feels himself grow lighter and he can't keep himself from returning the smile.

"Hi, pretty boy," Billy says, voice a little breathy. 

Steve's in all red with black dress shoes.  Billy wants to scream, suddenly all loose and reckless.

"You look _so good_."  Steve wraps Billy in a tight hug, discreetly pressing his lips to the top of Billy's head.  

"Shit," Billy hears one of the brats whisper, "I didn't expect them to be like _this_."

Steve laughs.  "Why are you three even here?"

"Someone's got to take pictures!"  Will raises the camera in his hands.  He's smiling more than Billy's ever seen him smile, but it's still a soft look.  One that Billy recognizes on a deep level.  

"Yeah, you're right, kid.  Gotta take prom pictures,"  Steve replies, clearly thinking the same thing Billy is.  

They take pictures leaning against Billy's car, Steve pressed up against Billy, with Billy's hand on the curve of his ass.  There's some of them smiling at the camera, smiling at each other, and alternating kisses on the cheeks.  Billy's in heaven.  "My boy," Billy whispers into Steve's ear.

"Alright, Will, we've got dinner reservations," Steve laughs, breaking Billy out of the trance being pressed up in between Steve and his car has put him in.  

"Have fun!" Will shouts.

-

Billy takes him to an Italian restaurant an hour out of Hawkins.  It's all low lighting and fancy outfits.  They blend in easily.

Steve sits across from him, rubbing his foot up Billy's leg as the waitress takes their order.  He hasn't stopped smiling yet.  

Billy just wants to drink him in, feels almost predatory in how his eyes keep roaming over him.  Sometimes Steve catches his gaze and smirks.  

"I like this so much more than I would like actually going to prom," Steve admits.  

"Yeah?"

"Yeah.  It's just us, no one else.  I don't have to see anyone from Hawkins.  I can't wait to dance with you later."

Billy feels like he's choking, has to violently swallow the burst of emotions that are rising up out of his throat, and Steve looks at him like he understands, like he sometimes has to do it too.  Billy has to turn away out of fear of showing how head over heels he is.  Steve laughs like he gets that too.

Once their food arrives, Billy watches Steve push the capers off his chicken piccata and off to the side.  It's endearing.  Billy can't it in himself to hate that thought.  

Steve reaches over and steals a piece of squash from Billy's pasta primavera.  He grins around the fork in his mouth.  

"Shithead," Billy grumbles, reaching over to steal a piece of chicken.  

"We're a team, sweetheart.  What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine."

They eat in silence for a little while, ankles curled together under the table, until Steve says, "So, Dustin didn't tell Mike and Will about us.  Dustin admitted a week ago that Mike's girlfriend, Jane, knew already, and she had told Mike, who told Will, who made him and Jane swear not to say anything unless one of us confirmed it.  I think Will understands that isn't a think they should be gossiping about."

"Do you think Will is gay?" Billy asks around a mouthful of food.  

"He certainly seems to just  _understand_ things that are gay-coded."

"Like the pictures today."

"Yeah, like the importance of the pictures," Steve nods.

"So the only one who doesn't know is Lucas?"

"That's what Dustin said.  He said that everyone knows not to tell Lucas.  They don't want Max to know and then something happen with Neil and her get hurt for either not telling him or for having to tell him."  

"He wouldn't hurt her."

"Yeah, well, you never know.  She just doesn't need to be put in that position."  

The conversation is interrupted by the waitress coming back, asking if they want to order desserts. Billy smiles his most charming smile and asks for the biggest piece of lemon pie they have.  She blushes and says, "Coming right up," while Steve kicks his shin under the table.  Billy's smile doesn't even falter.

"C'mon, King Steve, don't you know you've gotta charm them to get what you want?"

"I would rather you charm me instead," he says, playfully, rubbing the spot he kicked Billy with his shoe in a silent apology.  

"Oh, but I've already got you charmed."

"What makes you think that?  Maybe I'm just here for the lemon pie and then I'm out."

Billy spreads his arms out wide.  "Where would you go, baby?  We're an hour out of Hawkins."

"I've got people everywhere, _sweetheart_."

The sound of ceramic hitting the table is loud.  Billy doesn't even look up, doesn't care that the waitress is there.  Steve tries to smile _his_  most charming smile at her, but its icy around the edges.  "Thank you," he says.

"I think she's upset you called me sweetheart."  Billy comments once she walks away, sliding the pie into the middle of the table and handing the spoon for first bite to Steve.

Steve just shrugs and takes his bite.  "I love lemon pie.  We should get a piece to go."  He hands the spoon to Billy, who doesn't love lemon pie like Steve does, but this day is all for Steve.

"Whatever you want, baby."  

-

What Steve really wants, apparently, is for Billy to pull over on a side road and push Billy farther into his seat with his whole body.  They kiss for a long time, mouths tasting like lemon and sugary crust.  Its wonderful, but Steve pulls away once it gets too much with promises of later whispered onto his lips.  

-

Steve tries to head straight for the front door, but Billy pulls him towards the back and to the pool house.  When they get close enough, Billy can hear Rick Springfield playing.

Steve looks confused.  "Why is the record player out here?"

Billy opens the door and let's Steve go first.  He's nervous that one of the brats didn't listen and fucked it up. 

When he looks inside, he's proven wrong.  The pool house is lit with only the gold lighting of the string lights Billy paid a ton for.  Red and gold balloons are scattered neatly along the floor.  The pool supplies are covered with white linen with real rose petals.  It doesn't look as tacky as Billy feared.  It's all simple, but that's enough for Steve.  Billy can read it on his face.

"Sweetheart," he whispers.  

"You like it?"

"I love you so much."

Billy breathes in and out, then says, "I love you too."

Steve pulls him into a hug and then they sway.


End file.
